The Whole Child, Issue #076 - New Baby, New Website and New PossibilitiesOctober 12, 2010

MAXIMIZING POTENTIAL

The Whole Child e-zine brings you free preschool activities each week to maximize your child's potential, build skills and parent-child relationships in just a few minutes per day. Useful tips, quotes, resources, opportunities and articles will be added for extra value!

If you enjoy this e-zine, please pay it forward and send it to a friend.
If you received THE WHOLE CHILD from a friend and you would like to subscribe, please sign up at Shirley's Preschool Activities.

New Baby, New Website and New Possibilities

A new baby is like the beginning of all things - wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities. ~ Eda J. Le Shan

This month I have the pleasure of announcing to you, my readers, firstly, the birth of my 6th baby – a boy named Jason. He was born a month ago on 09/09/2010.

Secondly, I have been hard at work creating a new website on another topic that is one of my passions – Pregnancy and Giving Birth - equipping women to make informed choices for their babies.

For those that enjoy details, you can see a baby photo, read my latest birth story and view a one minute video clip of my newborn here: Unassisted Child Birth Story

So we still have at least 6 more years of preschool homeschooling ahead of us!

My preschool site is 5 YEARS OLD this month and sometimes I wonder how we'd cope without the income it generates. Since it is in the top 1% of websites on the Net and is quite mature and well-established now, I started my second site in mid-July. My hope is that it will help me to afford a large family home in a few years time. That's one of my dreams.

What are yours? Maybe Site Build It could also help you make your dreams come true.

2. Check my preschool website

Every year, when I post a link to the Halloween pages of my website, I get a few people who are offended by my views and unsubscribe to this newsletter.

While I’ll be sorry to lose readers, I feel I must again challenge the views of society in general, as I believe that our innocent little children are often the victim of this gruesome day.

3. Quote

I looked on childrearing not only as a work of love and duty but as a profession that was fully interesting and challenging as any honorable profession in the world and one that demanded the best that I could bring to it.
~ Rose Kennedy

4. Tips & Advice

If you are a Bible believing family and you don’t want your children to miss out on the fun of a fancy dress celebration, then consider celebrating the Jewish festival of Purim.

Even though this festival is at a different time of the year (usually falls in March), you can tell your children, “We don’t celebrate Halloween, but you’ll get your chance to dress up for Purim.”

Even though you are probably not Jewish, there are some good reasons why we Gentiles can also celebrate Purim – click on the link for more info on why and how.

You will need to have Adobe Reader installed. It’s a free download.
Repeat these activities often - with your own variations too!

1. Gross motor skills

Tape some pieces of newspaper together to make a sheet large enough for your child to fit on. Let him lie down and then trace an outline of his body. Cut out the shape then ask your child where you should draw the facial features and clothes. Bend the body at the joints and discuss these body parts with your child. Let him do the same with his own body. Ask him to point to his various body parts with his eyes closed.

2. Fine motor skills

Cut a few different pieces of colored cloth into small pieces. Let your child use a glue stick or paint brush to cover a piece of card with glue and paste the pieces of fabric onto it.

3. Visual skills

Play color games with your child. Show her a red block, then ask her to spot something else in the room that is red. Then repeat the activity with different colors.

4. Auditory skills

Together with your child listen to the American composer, Aaron Copland’s Rodeo, which was composed for a ballet. Your child might not know what a cowboy or the wild west is, but nevertheless, talk about this piece – the images or feelings it evokes and any other response it stirs in either one of you.

5. Mathematical skills

Teach your child a new Counting Rhyme and repeat it often during the course of your daily activities.

6. Language and thinking skills

Ask your child to show you a facial expression that shows how she would feel in a given situation which you describe to her.

e.g. How would she feel if she kicks her toe (sad, in pain)
How would she feel if she gets an ice-cream
How will she feel if someone takes away her ice-cream
How will she feel if daddy gives her a hug
How will she feel if she breaks a vase
How will she feel if she goes up a high building etc…

After your child has demonstrated each facial expression, name or talk about the emotions that she was expressing.

7. Faith-building

Talk to your children about not conforming to the ways of this world. Tell them how your family has different standards or values than some other people.

Romans 16:19 "I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil."

Greetings until next month
Shirley

P.S. I started my new website with the goal of being able to afford our own large family home in about 5 years time (or sooner!).
If you'd like to learn more about building an income-generating website like mine, click on the SBI banner below!